Yes, ccgaylord, confessions are great! Continue keeping note of Quirna's height; glad you picked up on that. Just because one is small in size does not mean she's incapable of fighting for what is right!
Advisory Note: More descriptions of Cadoc's injury are present in this chapter, but I think it should still be a T rating.
6. Of Sickbeds & Cats
Half-conscious he had crawled two meters but gave up and rolled over gasping for breath. He had tried to whistle for Silver, but the fresh blood in his mouth prevented him from doing so. His breathing was racked; since every breath felt like a jab in his chest, he knew that he had broken ribs. Suddenly he felt something pressing to his lips that brought him to full consciousness. Opening his eyes he saw Éo…Quirna what was she doing here? He groaned and covered his side with his cloak. Coughing he sat half way up despite the painful protesting of his injured side.
"Hello again," he said in a strangled voice.
"Oh, Cadoc! Hold on; I will get help!" Gently stroking the hair away from his face, she ran back inside the Hornburg and explained the situation the gatekeepers, getting them to help her carry him to safety. They ended up putting him in her room, since it was clean and available. Once summoned, the healers helped Quirna assess the wounds.
One of the women took Quirna aside. "His condition is grave. He's been stabbed in the side, several ribs are broken, and he has a large wound on the back of his head. However, he may yet survive if we can keep infection and fever at bay."
She sniffed, afraid the worst might happen to her true love and she would lose yet another significant person in her life.
Darkness. Confusion. Blood. That was all that he knew. His head pounded and his side ached. His coughing fits brought more blood to his mouth.
Quirna stayed by Cadoc's side, wiping his sweaty brow with a wet cloth from time to time. He had muttered something about "athelas" in his confusion, and when she asked for an explanation, it sounded like he said "kingsfoil." The healers sent someone to look for the weed; after all, it likely couldn't hurt anything since his condition was already so bad. Quirna herself crushed the leaves and applied them to both his wounds, then covered him back in his blankets. Now she would have to wait and care for him the best she could. Unfortunately, the winter had grown quite long and the food stores dwindled. A weak broth, all Quirna could manage, was administered to him from time to time, but he could not swallow much.
As she kept her beside vigil, the young lady held Cadoc's hand. "I...I do not know how to explain this...Please, you must get well." Then her tears softly fell on the blankets.
An endless nightmare. Blackness. Then, a sliver of light. A voice. He was rushing upwards out of the darkness. Cadoc's eyes opened. He blinked adjusting to the light. Quirna sat beside him. "Quirna."
"Cadoc? Are you awake?" Dare she hope he could actually recover from such grave injuries? Ah, her rolling off his lips felt so right…
"Yes," he said hesitantly, "What has happened?"
"You were wounded several days ago in a foolhardy skirmish. You've been unconscious most of that time, although the athelas that you called for seemed to greatly improve your status, even if we were unsure exactly how to use it." She lifted a gentle hand to check his brow for fever, and found it significantly cooler than before.
"Silver?" he asked, remembering.
He sat up now, the pain was significantly less. Quirna's golden hair, though still short, was glimmering in the morning light. Her eyes turned towards him, their deep emerald green depths shining at him. For a moment he held the gaze, entranced.
She giggled. "You must be feeling better! Silver is safely inside the stables; he actually walked right up to the gate and knocked with his front hoof!"
Cadoc smiled, "That sounds like him. They say my mentor gave him to me to keep me from becoming an old man before my time."
Quirna let out a rather unladylike guffaw, greatly relieved to see her man getting back to himself – wait, when did she start thinking of him as "hers"? "I have to admit, I thought you were at least 50 when I first met you! Wait, how old are you anyway? About 25 or so?"
"Well, no," Cadoc answered, "you are a better guess than my people. I am 54."
"Really? I am 20, but I guess since you live longer you are actually nearer to my age than it sounds?"
"Really," he breathed, "my people live to be about 150 years."
"How wonderful! But I still think Silver needs to do his job better so you can lighten up and enjoy the rest of your life! You probably need a kitten too; I had one when I was with the corsairs. Starfish was found on the shores, a scraggly little creature. He brought much joy into my life!"
"That's why my people call me Old Tongued. I tend to be negative about situations. A cat?"
"Yes! Don't you like cats? Starfish was about my best friend, the only one who truly understood me. There is nothing like the sound of a cat's purr lulling you to sleep."
"I've never had one," Cadoc said, "my family only had horses."
"Once you get completely well we shall have to change that. I'd like another cat, since there is no way I will ever return to the corsairs. In fact, I might find one while you rest! You will be welcome to visit him any time!" She could hardly believe he'd had horses but no cats. No wonder he sounded so old!
"Well you might start now because I'm starting to get sleepy."
Cadoc closed his eyes. Soon his chest rose and fell evenly.
After tucking the blankets gently around him, checking his forehead once again for fever and finding none, she took her leave. Once outside the room, the excitement welling up inside her ached to be released, so she started to hum a song her mother used to sing to her when she was very young. She walked through the Hornburg, knowing that there had to be cats somewhere. The stable was first on her list, not only because that is where cats tended to be kept, but also to check on Silver and her own horse, Silky.
"Good day!" Quirna greeted a stable hand. "The horse that knocked on the gate, Silver, is he here?"
"Yes, in this stall." The young boy pointed her in the right direction and she let herself into the stall. "Hello, Silver! Your master is feeling better now. He misses you." She stroked the strong beast and gave him an old carrot, then went to Silky's stall. That horse also got an old carrot. Then she found the stable boy again. "Would you happen to have any cats here? I am looking for a kitten."
"Actually, there are several cats, almost more than we can handle! One has kittens that are several weeks old now; if you like, you can pick our one of them."
"Really? Thank you so much!" He led her to the loft, where the mother cat had settled into a warm corner with her brood of six. Quirna examined all the kittens, then picked a small grey male. "Mind if I take this one?"
"Go right ahead!"
So the young lady found herself with a new pet, which she carried back to her chambers. On her way, she got more acquainted with her new friend. "Little kitten, I am taking you to meet a special friend of mine. He has been injured so I expect you to be on your best behavior. He is not used to cats, so it is up to you to prove your worth!" She quietly entered her room and found Cadoc resting peacefully. The kitten immediately curled up against his side while Quirna again felt his brow to make sure the fever had not returned; it had not, so she settled in another part of the room to get a much needed break. She had been so busy making sure the Ranger got the best care that there was little time left for her to rest herself. However, hearing her name on his lips did her heart, mind, and body more good than any amount of sleep ever could, especially since that was his first word after awakening. She slowly drifted off, for once relatively peaceful.
Cadoc woke after several hours. Quirna was sleeping peacefully across the room. Something warm was at his side. A little fuzz ball was curled up beside him, after examination he determined it was a kitten. Carefully he stroked it with his forefinger.
The kitten mewed quietly, happy that someone was finally paying attention to him. Quirna awoke from her slumber and softly made her way towards Cadoc. Finding him awake, she gave him some water. "I found this kitten in the stables and they said I can keep him! I thought I'd give you the honor of naming him. But first, do you think you can sit up by yourself a bit while I check your head and side?"
She gingerly lifted the blankets and tugged up his shirt to inspect his wound. "It looks much better. Now for your head."
"Hmmm," Cadoc pondered, "How about Havens?"
She moved behind him and declared it looked better than his side. He protested when she inspected his head, "It doesn't feel better!" Then he was forced to take another drink and lay back down.
"I like that name, sweetheart." Oh dear; did she just call him that out loud? Quirna hoped he didn't notice. "Your head certainly looks much better than the first time I saw it. I'd say it still hurts badly though. Would you like some willow bark tea? That might soothe your pain and do you good; you need more liquids."
Cadoc raised an eyebrow, perhaps she meant the cat.
"I would like some, please."
She moved away to the fire. Havens jumped on the shadows moving across the sheets.
